Swansong
by thedreamclubmurders
Summary: Edward never returned after leaving in New Moon. Bella's life unraveled, but someone rescued her from destitution with one bite. Now, a vampire is threatening the safety of Forks, and Bella is there to fight back... but so are the Cullens.
1. Chapter 1

Forty years can severely change a human.

However, forty years can only trifle the existence of a vampire.

I stood, staring at my unchanging reflection in the antique mirror I had found in Charlie's basement. Times had changed rapidly, the technology age eclipsing the need for floor-length mirrors, but nothing fascinated me more. Perhaps because, in such a mirror, I could see the full vestige of what I was.

A vampire. A bloodsucker, as Jacob Black used to call them – I say 'used to', because he is no longer a werewolf. After the Cullens left Forks, and Victoria lost my scent, there was no need for protection and Jake resumed his human form. That was thirty-nine years ago; he disappeared shortly after, and I haven't heard from him since.

There hasn't been much time in my life to dwell on the fates of others.

Charlie died of sudden kidney failure ten years ago; I could only attend his funeral under a guise. With my head bowed and shrouded by a black sea of fabric, I had to offer Renee my condolences in a removed, emotionless voice. It was painful, to watch your human life crumble, but necessary. Decades later I would forget, and my life would become an anomaly.

Being a vampire is not as glorious as I would have imagined. _He _is not here to share my burden; immortality is bland without your soul mate.

But what would I want with Edward Cullen now? He had left me, with so callous a farewell, to rot on the forest floor. I would never forget his words… their biting (no pun intended) intentions. He did not love me anymore, they were leaving, and it was time.

I gave a derisive laugh, as the reflection in front of me changed, the face contorting into dark amusement. What would he say if he knew this mirror image was what became of his Bella? His innocent, sweet, human Bella.

My existence was immaterial to the world, now. I lived like the corpse I was, managing day to day through the small pleasures I found in reading ancient Literature and visiting distant lands. For Carlisle's sake, I fed off small animals and as rare as possible. Fighting human blood had become natural, but nothing could stave off the need to feed. I was bound to my immortality, embarrassed by its sustenance.

In the early years of my change I felt sympathy for Edward, only now understand the true tribulations he faced. However, I never found a scent that made me wild. Human blood almost repulsed me in its sickly saccharine nature. I wanted to spell peppermint and lime, not raspberry and banana.

Now, here I was, with no coven and no family, sitting in Charlie's basement staring at an antique overlooked mirror. It was almost humorous.

Though I was not expecting to be bothered since Charlie's house had been empty since his death, I still felt tense. Part of the reason I returned to the dreaded Forks was because the Seattle newspapers were drenched in stories about mysterious disappearances and deaths in this small town. Knowing better than the idiot reporter, who decided to blame it on 'the man', I came back to save this little town from my own kind.

There was a stray vampire looking for some fun, and he'd struck a nerve with me. Though I'm certainly no Volturi, I am also not the ideal vampire to cross. My impervious nature held through the transformation, and my anger developed into a power; I could blow things up. It wasn't exactly a convenient power, but it warded off unfriendly company all the same.

Giving myself a few fleeting moments to swallow up the mirror and its familiar reflection, I traced the outline of my figure, flicking quickly past my brown eyes; they had not changed much, only clouding with red when I don't feed for more than two weeks. My hair was still brown, but with a more commanding presence. Everything becomes ethereal about your appearance when you become a vampire.

My skin was pallid and daunting, my eyes were shrewd and watchful, and my body was always enveloped under layers of clothes. I liked to hide in whatever way possible.

This was me. This was Isabella Swan, forty years after the fall, and still looking eighteen.

I sighed, tearing my eyes away from the mirror and starting up the stairs towards the kitchen. The Cullens, Jake, Charlie, Renee, Forks High School – these were all memories that served well as they were, past and untouched.

The future was no great surprise to me.


	2. Starting over

Upstairs was the same, except for the dust that had collected in the kitchen. I eyed the cabinets wearily, remembering a time when I was not strong enough to hoist myself over the counter and reach for the spaghetti sauce. Now, I could blow up the counter to just get it out of my way. Charlie was so fond of the food I made him…

He was not so fond of, however, being ignored the last forty years. I couldn't necessarily come home looking pale and refined, with different mannerisms and a hate for sunlight; he might not have believed in the supernatural, but he'd suspect something otherworldly going on. I was too much of a coward to confirm his suspicions, so I stayed away.

Now I wished, as I often did in quiet moments as this, that Laurent never found me. Of course he hadn't meant to destroy me – no, he thought that in the act of biting he was salvaging. That Bella Swan was lost for good without the venom he could give me.

I had been sprawled on the side of the road, exactly five months after Edward left, tracing the outlines of clouds absently with my raised hand, when a car zoomed past. Dust attacked my open mouth, and I started to choke.

And then, like the Angel of Death, Laurent appeared, a cloak hiding his body and a slight limp. When he recognized my scent, he dragged me into the bushes and tried to wake me. I only remember the darkness then; Edward's face was the backdrop to my lids, and he grinned crookedly, cooing my name in a soft inviting tone.

Laurent brought me back, though, and Edward's face disappeared. I was deranged. He couldn't control me, and so Laurent acted on impulse.

You cannot blame a man who believes himself a saint.

Life was a dulcet indulgence in my first hour of complete transformation. I could sense, see, smell, and hear things on a different caliber. The world became my forced playground, and I was sure that Edward could find me now. Vampires must be connected to one another, I reasoned, for I could sometimes feel the presence of others like myself.

I wasn't aware that this unfortunate gift was bestowed upon me by my creator. Laurent has more to hide than obvious.

Edward never came – just as he did not for those five months. That is how forty years have passed, my insides deteriorating but my body as fresh as eighteen, with no friends now that Laurent has been summoned by the Volturi; just a fortune jingling in my pocket and a very disturbed imagination. I would dream of drinking human blood sometimes – teenage boys walking home from school; but they were not the sort of pleasant visions one dotes on. They were my nightmares, my absolute fears.

That I would one day succumb, no matter how human blood smelled to me, to the innate desire. The thirst that ruled my kind.

However, by means of flattery, I was doing wonderful. Going out in public, whatever my proximity may be to humans was no problem. There wasn't much to prompt me to leave the confines of whatever dark inhabitance I used each week, so discovery was impossible.

After all, who would remember little Bella Swan, who died at the age of eighteen from asphyxiation due to heat?

That's what the medical examiner said. I choked on the sun. How ridiculous.

Only Jacob questioned this, and demanded to see the body, but when they rejected him he knew. One last time he came to visit, to that precious meadow, and his parting sorrows hurt almost as much as Edward's.

"Bells, I can't believe you did this. I was there for you. I was your best friend." He'd paused then to wipe what may have been tears off his face, "and now we're nothing but enemies."

That bold statement summed up my existence. Even vampires shied away from me and my 'fickle' nature; meaning I did not feast on humans. What kind of vampire was I, they mocked? A vegetarian? How silly.

Those were the times I fervently wished for Carlisle. His presence was comforting. Alas, I'd seen naught of the Cullens for the past forty years, and never expected to cross ways with them again.

But that was the past. Unimportant. There was a vampire on the loose in Forks; _that_ was the present.

Stepping off the porch, I gave the house a goodbye glance, and turned to leave with heavy eyes. There was an eternity left to mourn the loss of this house, the loss of Charlie, and very soon the loss of Renee. She was living off a ventilator at St. Mary's in Jacksonville. In a brief selfish moment I contemplated biting her… for an everlasting companion, but such a horrible thought can never overstay its welcome.

I locked myself in a room for a week just for thinking it. This life has hardened my sympathy for humans.

With each graceful step the house disappeared further and further behind me; it soon became a dot on a distant street with no meaning. My new target was the school; I had to enroll as Marie Swan, a supposed distant cousin of the late Swan family. Mrs. Cope still worked there, bless her should-be-retired soul, and despite her senile demeanor those eyes forget little.

My appearance _had_ been altered by the change, though, so it wasn't a gamble to call myself a relative.

As I approached the recognizable building, I had to smirk. Imagine how astute I had become, how cunning and self-preservative this life had made me. I was no longer clumsy, only poised. I did not walk, I glided. Nor did I eat, to the speculation of many.

Yet, the layers of clothes kept anyone from pegging an eating disorder on me. I was just… 'different', as a girl in East Sussex I met seven years ago put it.

Perhaps this drastic alteration would help Mrs. Cope accept the fact that Marie Swan was a transfer student from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who had no desire to speak about her deceased relatives or their time at Forks High School.

I took a bold step forward and slid through the doors; my gag reflex involuntarily heaved.

The stench of human was so overwhelming, not because of population but because of familiarity. I knew all these smells, children of those I went to school with, and Mrs. Cope sitting at her desk with ancient wrinkles; and Edward.

Edward Cullen lingered in the air. Surprising that I could recognize it, since I never caught his scent as a vampire, but I knew. I knew because I smelled love, and it knocked me off my feet. For the first time in forty years I had tripped walking through a door.

How would Mrs. Cope ever believe me now?


	3. Change is absolute

The first thing she did was slide her signature glasses down the bridge of her nose, giving me an appraising look as I regained my posture and slinked towards her. It was a rough beginning but I would not falter; it had been forty years since I walked into that room and as far as the town of Forks knew I choked to death.

A vampire should not feel fear. We incite it.

In a calm voice, one soothing and alluring to the human ear, I leaned on to the desk and smiled, "Hello… Mrs. Cope, is it? I'm new here. My name is Marie Swan. I was told you'd have some things for me?"

My voice sounded inhuman to me. It resonated of dripping honey, sparkling like… topaz… in the sunlight. Dangling before a human like helpless bait. It sickened me. Once upon a time I thought it dazzling – as I thought Edward was dazzling. Now I realize it is the nature of a vampire to be enthralling to its prey. He was right.

Sometimes my mind drifts back to those first high school days with the wonderment of what exactly I _was_ to Edward.

Humanity was so long ago that I forgot the fierceness of _his_ feelings, but never mine. I could not say with certainty if he ever loved me, as I could never love a human in this form, but neither could I deny my unwavering loyalty to him. Never once did I seek satisfaction in the arms of another male.

Jacob did not count, because I never looked to him as a sexual object. He was a brother, one dead now for all I know.

Mrs. Cope cleared her throat, leaning back in her chair and crossing her frail arms. She wasn't sold. This was the first time a human questioned me – a human, how silly that I throw around the phrase like 'animal' or 'monster'.

I was a human once, and in many ways I still am. How awful that I must be separated from it now. I've grown accustomed to dry humor, and how only dark comedy can make me laugh, and movies are torture. Why would I want to watch films about 'everlasting' love, when I've got everlasting life to deal with first?

Mrs. Cope took a moment to observe my serene face, fiddling with the corner of a paper in her hand. Then, without warning, she stood up and slid the paper across the narrow counter to me, smiling pleasantly.

"I'm so glad that you've come to Forks. We've really missed the Swans around here…" she trailed off, making sure to keep her tone light, most likely as a precaution to keep me from breaking down.

Little did Mrs. Cope know that vampires don't cry. It is impossible for them to produce tears.

"Thank you, so very much," I flashed one of the few devilish grins I had, and hoped that it would deter her from any awkward questions she seemed to be forming already. With a slight stutter, and a blink of stupor, she pointed towards the exit and said in a tiny voice, "Classes start in ten minutes. Try to be on time, and if you get lost ask a fellow student." There was an unanticipated pause, where she wrung her hands together and dropped her eyes to the tile floor, "Have a good day, Miss Swan."

Oh, Mrs. Cope, I never have a good day, but thank you for the sentiment.

"I will."

Just as I turned to walk out, an anxious voice stopped me.

"It's… supposed to be seventy-five degrees outside in the afternoon. The sun comes so rare to Forks. Perhaps you'd like to take the afternoon off? After all, it is your first day."

Every (dead) nerve in my body froze. The sun? Was… Did Mrs. Cope…

"You teens love to play outside, don't you," she laughed, and I could hear the squeak of her chair behind me as she sat back down. My shoulders relaxed, and I glanced over my shoulder to smile reassuringly, "I think I will."

Incidentally, after glancing at my schedule I discovered that the afternoon class was Biology, and knew that I would have skipped it anyway. Sentimental values die hard.

It was Edward's overwhelming scent that made me late to my first class, Calculus; as I approached my locker it flooded the air, making my eyes water and my knees tremble. Why was it so strong? Did human memories hold this much reverence to a vampire? I suddenly wondered if Edward traveled constantly to avoid this type of feeling, of remembrance – but I had to block him out.

I had to forget him. There was a vampire ravaging innocent carnage in Forks. Edward Cullen has no place in my mind right now.

And so I tried to forget him, tried to dull the scent by spraying myself with bottled honeydew; it was the only thing that appealed to my vampiric nose. I took a moment to bathe in the comforting aroma, imagining that the whole world was just myself and the honeydew.

Things would be so peaceful if it were that way.

"Hey, Mike – catch!"

There was a gust of wind above my head and then I felt déjà vu. Mike? Mike… Newton. A boy. Baby face. Where did I know him from?

Of course. Biology. For a moment I forgot the forty year time gap, and turned excitedly to wave at Mike Newton. Instead, though, I saw a similar replica, but with wider set teeth and less boyish eyes. His jaw was also prominent. I stared at him, with little attention to how long, examining his features with curious ease.

I'd forgotten that humans did not like being stared at.

"Hey… are you alright?" This Mike stepped forward with a concerned frown. I recovered quickly.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. You just… have we met?"

It was a dangerous question, but impulse was controlling my mouth now and self restraint was too tiring a thing today.

"I don't think so. I'm Mike Newton," he stuck out his hand and then grinned, "The second."

[ A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I can't tell you how happy they made me. Truly, thank you. The biggest compliment is hearing that I've drawn people in with my writing style, and made them want to read more, so this story is really for all you reviewers. In honor of your kind words, I shall strive to make this story golden! Though, I am human, so forgive me if I make a few mistakes, hehe.

Right now I'm not sure about bringing in a Cullen's POV, so you can see what _they've_ been doing for the past 40 years, so instead I'll ask. Would you want to have a chapter or two on their side? It wouldn't be from Edward's POV; most likely Jasper. I want to keep his feelings a mystery, kind of like they are in the book. Although I might rewrite this fic at some point entirely in Edward's POV, like S.M. is doing with Twilight, if I get the inspiration.

So, yes, review with your opinion and tell me what you think of this chapter! )


	4. The other side

**Jasper's POV**

I sat across Alice, watching as her unfocused eyes fluttered; she had just seen something, and Edward was by her side before I could even lean forward.

He knelt, one hand on his knee, head turned up at Alice with pleading eyes. "Please…" he spoke softly, "tell me what you saw…"

It was not normal for Edward to _ask_, since he could usually read her thoughts, but for the past forty years Edward's powers had dulled, and his looks unraveled along with it. His Greek God-like stature was still noticeable, but hidden beneath something. Sallow eyes that always looked robbed of sleep (ironically), and hunched posture; he was a ghost of a vampire, just drifting along with his pack. No direction in mind and no will to survive.

We had to beg him to hunt.

The only thing that sustained him in this decrepit state was the thought that Bella might still be alive. A month ago Alice had seen a vision of Bella standing at an altar in a wedding dress, with no one beside her. Edward worried that this meant something; that he'd abandoned his 'precious Bella' to be an old spinster, and ever since he'd been hounding Alice for more visions.

What Alice hadn't told him, however, was that Bella looked the same as she did when we left Forks 40 years ago.

Alice's eyes flickered up to me before responding to Edward, and I knew that it had been Bella again.

"What was it this time?" I sighed, without asking my brother to leave the room. It was too much work keeping a secret like that from the world's most depressed vampire. Even bloodsuckers can have puppy eyes.

And his hit home.

Alice stuttered, seeming unsure, but spoke quietly with her head bowed. Was it something bad?

"I saw Bella again. Edward…," Alice turned to face him, and the look in her eyes made me snap out of my chair. I rushed to her side, and bent down to meet Edward's eye level. With one arm over Alice's shoulders, I whispered in her ear, "Shh, it's alright. We can tell him later."

But Edward growled fiercely and tore away from us. With unbelievable fury, he punched a clean hole through the wall behind him. "NO!" Edward shouted, "YOU ARE GOING TO TELL ME NOW!"

His whole body was shaking, and Alice was seized with fear. So, I did what I could, and suddenly the room fell quiet.

I smiled politely in Edward's direction, knowing that he would respond.

"Jasper, can't I _ever_ be angry around you?" He said hoarsely, turning around with a sad smile.

"Edward I think there's something wrong with her."

Alice shattered my attempts at lowering the emotions in the room with her single, curt sentence. She stood, face stoic, and took my hand steadily. "The last time I saw her was forty years ago, and she was choking—,"

"No! Alice!"

I pulled her face suddenly into my chest, half attempting to muffle her and half attempting to shield her from Edward's wrath. He hadn't known; Carlisle instructed us not to tell him, for fear that Edward would really miff the Volturi this time. Alice shuddered into my chest, her shoulders jerking with a dry sob, as Edward's entire body tensed.

"What?" He said in a low, menacing voice. Even I couldn't think straight enough to calm his emotions.

And then Edward took a step forward, his fangs growing out of his mouth and his eyes flushing blood red. "_What_ did you say?"

"Edward don't," I tried to warn him, but my voice was shaky. Despite the fact that Edward had deteriorated over time, his fierceness had grown. In his vampiric state no one dared cross his path. He was the loose cannon of the pack, and we did all we could to protect his rage.

But everyone slipped. Alice forgot. It was _not_ her fault, and I wouldn't let Edward take it out on her. He almost tore Emmett to shreds seven years ago when he wouldn't let Edward go back to Forks for Charlie's funeral.

"Let her go," Edward spat, "and don't try any of your calming bullshit on me. I'm in no mood, Jasper. Just let her go. I want to know what the hell you're keeping from me, and why the hell I didn't find out earlier."

He was referring to the mind reading, I assumed, but Edward hadn't noticed his own powers deteriorating (as they had the second he left Bella in Forks), so it was unnaturally easy to hide something from him.

Tentatively, I released my hold on Alice's shivering body, letting her regain composure before entirely pulling away.

She breathed evenly, and then looked Edward dead in the eye. Her body became statue-like and her eyes turned to coal.

"Forty years ago I saw a vision, and I was instructed – we were instructed not to tell you about it. It was Bella, and she was choking. Then the next week I saw another vision of the headlines in the local Forks newspaper. Local girl Bella Swan dies from asphyxiation due to heat."

Alice paused, her eyes softening a bit, "Due to _heat_, Edward? How was I supposed to believe that?"

Edward growled, his fists curled into menacing weapons and his body shaking violently. I expected him to yell and scream, but his towering quiet visage frightened me more.

And then it came like a storm.

He screamed, a raw and guttural cry of pain, and tore through the wall. Then he moved to whatever furniture was near, and flipped it over, snapped it in two, and threw it across the room. Alice started to yell, begging him to stop and to calm down.

I couldn't think. I couldn't concentrate.

"EDWARD I'M SORRY! IT'S BEEN FORTY YEARS AND YOU'VE BEEN FINE!" Alice screeched.

This was the wrong thing to say, I already knew.

Edward dropped the piano that he was about to throw towards the only undamaged wall, and rounded on Alice's trembling frame. I tried to jump out and protect her but Edward shoved me violently aside.

"_Fine_?" He hissed, "Is that what you think I've been? _Fine_?! The only reason I didn't blow myself up is because I thought Bella to be _alive_, Alice! Can you understand that?! ALIVE!"

_Just say it Alice_, I thought vehemently, _just tell Edward we think Bella is still alive_!

Alice's lip quivered, and then she let out a dry sob and turned away, running out of the destroyed room.

"I…" my voice faltered, knowing that I should run after Alice but unsure of leaving Edward in this state.

"Just get out," Edward growled, his back turned to me and his hands still clenched in fists.

I did leave, but instead of finding Alice first I went directly to Carlisle. Edward's safety was now our top priority.

From himself.

( A/N: There's a little JasperxAlice in there, for any fans, but I made this chapter extra long so you could understand where Edward was coming from, but still not through his eyes. I want to leave some of his feelings and thoughts a mystery, and Jasper is the ideal character to offer the Cullen side of the story. I hope you liked this chapter, and please, if you like what you read then review! Nothing makes me happier than the wonderful things you guys say. Honestly. )


	5. The other side 2

**Jasper's POV**

I found Carlisle upstairs, Alice chatting anxiously beside him. There was no point in using my powers; Carlisle had calmed her already, but his own face looked apprehensive.

He wordlessly called me over after realizing I was standing by the door frame, and Alice gave me a shaky hug. She had never seen Edward so violent, especially towards her; my sympathies extended in the small kiss on the cheek I gave her. Carlisle cleared his throat, and we separated.

"Hey, you look like death," I grinned nervously at Alice. She ignored me and turned to Carlisle.

"We have to do something," she whispered.

Carlisle nodded, picking up a newspaper clipping that had been open on his desk. My eyes automatically followed the headlines, but Alice took my chin in her hands and pulled it away. "It's bad," she gazed fiercely into my eyes.

"Edward is, unfortunately, the least of our problems now Jasper," Carlisle muttered, barely audible. I frowned, nodding my head towards the crumpled newspaper between his fingers. "Mind telling me?"

Alice sat down at Carlisle's desk, putting a hand on her head. I'd never seen her _so_ pale; for a vampire, that's saying something.

"The headlines," Carlisle threw the paper at me, and I caught it reflexively. "They've been about Forks for the past month. People disappearing, and then showing up dead, covered in blood, limbs missing. They're calling it the Washington Chainsaw Massacre. The victims have bite marks, like they'd been ravaged by animals."

He looked at me from between the crease of his brows, head bowed. I knew.

"It can't be Victoria. Rosalie killed her twenty-four years ago, remember? After she tried to kill Emmett—"

"No. Jasper this is much worse? Limbs missing? This is not just about feeding; it is about humiliation. No vampire would ever treat their victim so callously. It's a message to every other vampire out there. Someone wants us revealed." He looked grave.

"But the Volturi!—"

"Have done nothing. Demetri sent for someone three weeks ago that can supposedly fix all this, but as you can see," he waved a hand absently at the newspaper, "nothing's been done."

I had a retaliation brewing, but Alice snapped, almost yelling.

"AH!" She fell out of the chair, clutching her stomach, and began writhing in the ground. I _rushed_ to her side.

"Alice? ALICE?!"

She gurgled a few words between her painful sobs, but her face began turning red. Carlisle was frantic in his movements, as he yanked open a nearby cabinet and searched through labeled bottles. I pulled Alice's head into my lap, rocking her back and forth in a tight grip.

"It's okay, it's okay…" I heard myself whisper, but the voice sounded foreign. I'd never seen Alice in so much pain…

"No it's not, don't lie to her." A small voice interrupted the hysterical scene, as light footsteps entered the room. I watched as Carlisle's hand froze, lingering over a bottle. What…

I turned around and my jaw fell slightly unhinged. Jane…?

"She was having a vision, so I thought it best to remind her _before_ the fact that, if she chooses to lie, suffering is an alternative." Jane smirked, stepping full into the room and turning towards Alice's body. She was locked in the fetal position beside me.

And then, the door frame behind Jane suddenly jerked, rustled, and ripped full off. Edward was standing there, breathing loudly and still looking… miffed.

When he saw Jane, however, his entire demeanor shifted into confusion. "Wha—you're here already? I figured it would take at least a day to process my request. And they sent _you_? How rude." He paused thoughtfully. "Then again I suppose I deserve a painful death. Well, get on with it then." He outstretched his arms, eyes closed and chin up.

He reminded me of a withered statue.

Jane scoffed at him, "I'm not here for you."

Edward opened one eye, curiosity in his voice, "Oh?" He dropped his arms and kicked aside the spare fragments of the door frame in front of him. "Then what _are_ you here for, oh-torturous-one?"

Carlisle dropped a bottle, the crash illuminating the corner of the room, and he answered Edward's question quietly. "She's here because of the killings."

This seemed to please Jane, who flashed a quick smile. "That I am. Demetri was dissatisfied with the vampire we sent for, so he thought the Cullens should be up next." Then, she leaned forward and quickly whispered, with a smug look, "If I were you, I'd try not to fail."

I couldn't take this. "Are you sure you're not here for Edward?" There was sincerity in my voice, although beneath the surface I wanted to rip Jane's dead heart out of her chest for what she did to Alice.

Edward looked mutinous.

"You know we are not going back to Forks," I continued boldly, but Alice cut me off. From her place on the floor, she held up a hand for support and I pulled her to her feet.

"Jasper, we have to. There's no other coven as powerful and as invested as us."

"No, no no no. Absolutely not. I will not go back there." Edward crossed his arms, glaring at Jane as if she was cholera and the whole room was in danger of infection.

Jane growled at him, clearly considering the benefits of watching him in pain, but I calmed the room. It took more effort than expected, however; anger is the hardest emotion to coax down.

"Jane, you have told us, now leave us to deliberate. As a family." Carlisle addressed her with his back still turned.

She turned up her nose in an insulted manner, but seemed to accept the dismissal, and slowly left the room.

I turned towards Edward and pointed at Alice. "Do you see?" I almost growled. "Do you see what Jane did to her? _Just_ because she could! Imagine what the Volturi will do to _all_ of us if we don't comply!"

"Do you think I care? BELLA IS DEAD, JASPER! I DON'T CARE MUCH FOR ANYTHING!"

I could feel his breath hard on my face, as we were inches apart. My fangs began to show and his eyes colored red. This was how it had started between Emmett and Edward seven years ago.

But Carlisle stepped in. "Do it for Bella," he said quietly. "Do it for your memories of Bella. Don't let Forks be destroyed."

Edward seemed to consider this, while also in a state of shock. I'd always imagined him committing some great suicide after Bella's death, and we'd all mourn the loss but also know it was right. This perspective, however, was… was…

"Okay," Edward said, as his eyes turned back to the same black they'd been for forty years. "But afterwards…"

Carlisle nodded. "We won't stop you. We've been selfish enough."

"Jasper, I'm…" Edward spoke between clenched teeth.

"I know."

A short quiet overtook the room; the only sound was Alice shuffling around, and finally she said dully, "Carlisle, we need to talk."

The two of them left the room, and Edward slumped to the ground, his back against the torn door frame. I knew the wood was tearing into his skin, but he didn't care enough to move. Sometimes I tried to imagine his suffering, but drew an immense blank. The feelings I had for Alice were not so intense; we were not always under threat of losing each other. There was eternity with Alice.

There was one year with Bella. I smiled wanly down at my brother, and brushed a hand over his hair.

No words needed to be said. Edward sighed, nodding his head.

( This chapter wasn't my best, but there was so much information to write that I didn't give much attention to writing. So, I apologize if it seems inconsistent with the other chapters. I was just so excited to finally write it! If you're wondering when/how Edward and Bella will meet… be patient, because I promise it will be worth it. Anyway, review with your thoughts! I hope you liked it! )


	6. Ageless rivalry

**Back to Bella **

My chest tightened and then slacked, so to save myself the horror of hyperventilating I stopped breathing altogether; as unnatural as it felt, I wanted to avoid making a name for myself before catching this rogue vampire.

So Mike Newton had a son, and in all his vain glory, named it after himself.

I tried to smile, eyeing his hand without any intention of meeting it with my own; he'd recoil at my icy touch. Instead, I casually turned back to my locker and continued conversation.

"Nice to meet you. I think my distant second aunt or something knew your dad. My name's Marie Swan."

At this, Mike's grin dropped, and he froze behind me.

I knew that my identity would be compromised at some point, if I did this right, but so early in the process did not feel right. There was still that rogue vampire, ravaging this small town and sucking the blood out of innocents. My only solace was in the death of these victims; had they survived, then right now _one_ vampire wouldn't be my concern.

Mike Newton II would not be the one to unmask me.

"Hey – did you say we had Calculus together? I don't really know where to go…"

But Mike did not respond; all I heard was the clicking of heels. Was that a teacher? Were we in some sort of trouble for loitering?

I looked to my right down the hall, and suddenly understood why Mike had gone silent. It had nothing to do with me.

Coming towards us was a tall girl – woman suited better – with blond hair that seemed endless and an almost blinding smile. She was dressed as I expected her to be; impeccable and emanating of Italian influence; vampires never bothered to make themselves obscure.

It was odd to see someone from Volterra. The last I heard of the Volturi was from Laurent three weeks ago when they summoned him. Her scent was overwhelming, reminding me of someone very similar; Rosalie.

They were not, however, one in the same. This girl was younger in the face; she must've died at seventeen.

She was younger than me – technically speaking. And yet she smelled of centuries, the crusades hidden in the aroma. She'd certainly seen all the men in the world, and didn't seem phased by Mike Newton II's response.

I wanted to vomit.

When I was human, vampires like her made my stomach churn in discontent; I'd always thought that Edward would find thrill in their beauty and leave my plain looks behind. Now, though, I did not like what the change did to me; opinion has a hand in appearance, as I strongly believe, but there is the solid truth that I stand above the average human female. Not by any great luck of my own but by the pure nature of a vampire.

We are attractive to our prey; it is natural order, for us.

And yet this girl, sauntering down the hall with the knowledge of her effect on men, still seemed otherworldly. She was more than just a vampire; of this much I was certain. I'd heard of interbreeding – primarily between Veela and vampires. That would explain the confounded look on Mike's face.

I wonder how Edward would have reacted…

No. Edward Cullen does not exist to me. Not right now.

"Mike? Calculus?" I tried to bring him back to earth, but he just nodded absently and trailed off after the girl.

How flattering.

His friend, however – the one that had thrown the football over my head – seemed impervious to the blond hair and the high heels. He had been watching me the whole time. And as I began gathering my books, he addressed me in a skeptic voice.

"Marie Swan, did you say?" I nodded, not bothering to look up. His face was unimportant to me.

"I'm Velkan. Velkan Uley."

Suddenly his face was the only thing that mattered in that hallway.

Instead of turning around, I used the reflection off the locker to confirm my suspicions. I saw Emily in his face first; her caring eyes and feminine beauty. However, it was still the face of a boy, with Sam's jaw and nose.

Without warning, I laughed. Werewolves reproduced?

"What's so funny?" He sounded offended. I turned to scrutinize him.

"Do you know me?" It was the only safe question.

"Dad always was suspicious, after Jake left. You know, you don't look a damned thing like I thought you would."

I wanted to feel surprised that he knew so quickly, but common sense put a stopper in my ignorance. Sam would have been a fool not to tell his children, especially with the new vampiric company in Forks.

However, I was still determined to put a little fear in this Velkan Uley, so he remembered to stay away from me. The last time I'd become close with a werewolf the ending was horrible. I would stop the cycle before it had a chance to start.

"Oh, and how's that? Old, and decrepit? No – dear boy," I took a few steps towards him, aware that his eyes looked dizzying and his breath had caught in his throat.

Beauty above the average human girl. For this Velkan, who was already fascinated with the idea of me, resistance was impossible.

"No. I may be over half a century old but I'm still eighteen to you." I smirked. This was far from the human Bella I knew; but I was far from anything I knew. Breathing gently on his face, I waited until his eyes slipped out of focus and the lids flickered before pulling away.

It had been four decades since a reaction like _that_. I'd manipulated a poor British postman into giving me the address of the only Cullens he knew. Of course, I never pursued the address, because Laurent was able to convince me that chasing my human life was pointless.

How could I even know if I felt the same about Edward after the change? He'd reasoned. But I knew. My love knew no bounds, immortal or not. But did Edward's? A complete mystery. Though, not likely, since he'd denounced his love and disappeared from my life.

Poor Velkan Uley. So simple to seduce, and yet nowhere near what I wanted. I gave him an almost pitying look before pulling away. He snapped out of the daze, and scoffed.

"Don't do that, bloodsucker."

I gave a derisive laugh. "You too? It's better than leech."

"What's wrong with your voice?" He narrowed his eyes.

My voice?

"You sound—"

"I went to Oxford for a short while."

"—like you've got an accent."

He was the first to notice since I'd arrived at Forks. In fact, it was so slight a tinge of British air that it was noteworthy he managed to pick it up. Perceptive, like I was as a human.

"You're the first to realize," I raised a brow appraisingly. As long as he called me 'bloodsucker' and 'leech', I'd keep the compliments to a minimum.

Velkan grimaced, "Dad says not to get mixed up in you. Says you pulled a bad one on Uncle Jake."

"I'm flattered. Does this look like the face of a vixen to you?" I mocked him, starting to walk away. I was in no mood to discuss Jacob.

As my footsteps bounced off the walls, I heard nothing to meet their dismissing tenor. Had that shut him up? I grinned smugly to myself, basking in this small satisfaction. Edward would have been proud…

"No," so small a whisper but it still rang in my ears like wildfire, "more like a…"

It was too much. I hadn't meant to lose my temper in Forks; then again neither had I meant to run into Mike's offspring, or Sam Uley's progeny, but sometimes things happen. The inevitable happens.

I whipped around, prepared to flash the fangs I knew Velkan was curious to see, but he wasn't there.

Making sense of humans was so difficult.

( There's something about this story, I just can't help writing constantly. I'm just so excited about it, so expect multiple updates per day. I've got a long weekend, too, so we might be well into the story by Sunday. It makes me so happy to see reviews, so keep them coming! And, for those of you that are wondering, we haven't heard the last of Jacob Black… dun dun dun! )


	7. Welcome home

**Jacob's POV**

It had been days since I saw the sun. The barn was never bothered in the winter months. I'd been sprawled across the hay for hours, fighting my hunger. Two days ago a traveling bard stopped nearby, and I snuck some bread from him.

My animal nature purred for meat, but I had to wrestle it. Three weeks ago I'd slipped, killing a small bunny in foodlust.

I was ashamed of myself.

Something scurried across my stomach, but I did not flinch. Mice were pointless to trifle with. The deft movement reminded me of Bella, and how she would run her fingers across my stomach.

Bella. The reason I was condemned to this barn.

Forty years ago I lost her; my best friend, my only love, my… nothing.

I never had any of her. Edward Cullen trumped me with his vampiric attraction.

It was unfeasible to believe that she could love someone who abandoned her. Those five months tortured Bella, but in a sickly beneficial way they were my salvation. Love became possible.

However unrequited it may have been.

The wind screamed against the sturdy barn doors, and my chest shook with slight laughter. The door never creaked.

My safe haven was undisturbed; except for Bella. She was the epicenter of my dreams. Her face mocked me for forty years.

I grunted, rolling over on to my stomach. Dawn was coming, and it would be the first day of March. The time to leave had come.

It was easy to move in my wolf form, as I had remained such as frequent as possible. I would not age so long as Edward Cullen had youth. He took my Bella. He bit her. Who else? I would avenge her loss one day, although admittedly it would also feel incredible to just kick Edward in the face.

Standing up, though still bent at the knees in the stance of a warrior, I growled. Changing was always painful.

Flexing my shoulder muscles, I groaned and let the human flesh seep through me. There was the sound of bones shrinking, and then I was myself again. Short, poorly cut black hair, bronzed skin, and still immensely tall. I was Jacob Black.

The sun peeked through the cracks on the ceiling, and I felt aware of the need to move on. I gave the barn a last sweeping look, and with no feeling of finality, pushed those sturdy doors open and walked.

Walked towards the rising sun.

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

The heat stung my back, but I wanted it; I wanted to feel the blistering sun bathe my skin. My breath was ragged. I'd just run through a field for the first time since leaving the barn; it was difficult to find a neutral place.

There was a town some thirty miles south, which was next to Seattle. I had ended up in Washington as I always knew I would, but not with the intention of returning to La Push.

I needed to know, with absolute certainty, that I could accept Bella's decision. So I came back, hoping to unearth fragments of her past that could help me finally live my future.

( This chapter was for all the Jacob fans that were curious about him, and there's also a lot of plot building. Every sentence has a purpose, and the words were chosen carefully here. I wonder if any of you can guess what's going on. There's an undercurrent of plot aside from Edward and Bella meeting for the first time. I'd be interested to see what your theories are on the plot? Wait a few chapters before forming theories, though. There's still so much information left to tell! But, the Edward/Bella crucial moment is coming soon, so keep looking for updates. I'm off the rest of the week so there will be MANY chapters to come in the next three days. )


	8. Second thoughts

**Back to Bella**

Calculus was far from the memory I had of it. Along with the shifting information age, new mathematical discoveries had surfaced, and the curriculum that was being taught now in Forks High School made my first Calculus class pale with inferiority.

Sadly, however, this class only had seven students. The need for remedial math was introduced a few years ago, from what the girl next to me whispered. She was uncommonly friendly, and excited to tell me all about _her_ school.

I almost smiled.

Time came to me as a boring indulgence that could never pass to quickly, but to humans every second passed was a second gone forever. Yet still they sat eagerly on the edge of their seats for the bell. That was me, once.

There was no need to anticipate the end of class for I knew it would come. Just as I knew how soon a year ended, two years, four years, ten years, and then forty years. Living in the moment was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard of.

"Miss Swan, do you have an answer?"

"Always positive as x approaches infinity."

"Correct."

Seeing Edward answer coolly to every surprise question from a teacher taught me how to anticipate them, but studying mathematics at Oxford for a semester taught me how to respond. Biology must have been an excruciatingly unwanted experience for him.

And yet how I loved it… sitting next to him…

"Hey, that's the bell! Come on, Marie. You can sit with us at lunch." The friendly girl next to me slid out of her seat, on her face a pleasant smile, and she lingered at my seat. I wanted to wave her off (I wasn't exactly in the business of making friends in Forks), but something about her puppyish face made me sympathize.

She wanted to be nice. I stood up, lifting my bag with a kind of flawless ease that never came to me as a human, and smiled. "Alright."

The girl beamed, chatting animatedly as she led me out of the classroom and to the place I knew all too well.

"By the way, I'm Sarah," she stuck out her hand once we reached the entrance. Without meaning to, I glanced at the corner of the cafeteria where the Cullens used to sit, but there was no longer a table there. Instead, the lunch line had expanded due to FDA regulations, and their entirely organic section had grown into my former refuge.

Were Alice here, she might've made a joke about the selfish nature of humans – didn't they know organic food made their blood taste sweeter?

Not that she would have first hand experience, but the joke would be appreciated.

I could not think of Alice… she was the other Cullen I missed with such violent fervor that, in the interest of self preservation, I'd suppressed all memories of her. I had diluted our friendship to an impersonal acquaintance in all my recollections of Forks.

Sarah's amiable tone interrupted my locked gaze, "you a vegetarian?" She motioned towards the salad bar.

I laughed, aware that there must have been a secretive twinkle in my eye, and nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"We'd better hurry. The line always gets blocked up."

"You go ahead. I'm not too hungry – must be the nerves. Where do you sit?" I tried to mirror her enthusiasm with a grin that flashed my entire set of teeth, but she gave me a peculiar look. After he eyes scanned my frame, however, she giggled and pointed towards a table in the middle of the cafeteria.

Two t-shirts was all it took to keep me from being pegged as 'the ana girl'.

Though I was weary of the central location of the table, I wouldn't give Sarah another opportunity to question me so I made a beeline for it. There was already a plain looking girl unfolding her lunch, and two boys across her roaring with laughter.

I immediately recognized one of them. Mike II.

When he noticed my direction, he stood up and waved. "Hey – you coming to sit with us?"

My neck was stiff, but I managed to nod. He nudged his friend's shoulder and said, "Yes!"

He was _exactly_ like his father.

The girl sitting across from Mike pursed her lips, folding a napkin across her lap daintily and sighing. I took the seat next to her and was met with a rakish smile. She seemed to think very highly of herself.

Mike's friend agreed. He eyed the girl with such hunger that I could have sworn he was a werewolf imprinting.

But he reeked of human.

Sarah joined us some minutes later, and trailing behind her was an eccentric mix of the student body; an Indian boy I vaguely recognized from Calculus, a shy looking girl who hid her face behind a mop of brown hair, and another girl who strode with confidence and poise. With endless blond hair and a blinding smile.

I could almost feel Mike's hormones pulsing off his body.

Suddenly I missed the freedom of easy attraction. Humans were repelling to me, now, and I wondered if Edward had seen the same waste of life in my eyes as I saw in Mike's. They were so uncomplicated, in a bilateral thinking world.

It repulsed me how easy it was to criticize I life I had but forty years ago. Bella Swan had changed more than just her species.

The blond girl/vampire maneuvered around the table to sit next to Mike, and she either missed my person entirely or chose to ignore the space I occupied. Either way I was contented.

Wordlessly, the blond was able to command the attention of the entire table, and she took her time before even bothering to look up from the bagel she was cutting. She planned to eat that?

After a long pause, she dropped the bagel and leaned into the table excitedly. "Guess what?" Her eyes scanned everyone's face but mine, flickering past with little attention. "My cousins called last night. They're coming in to visit."

Your cousins? I blanched. Did that mean more vampires in Forks?

"Really? No way!" Mike quipped, clearly trying to draw more information out of her.

"Yeah, but I'll be out of school for the rest of the week. Someone has to watch them," she winked.

Clever girl. The forecast was sunshine until Friday, wasn't it?

"You're missing school again?" A husky voice interrupted from behind me.

I recognized the cynical timbre, and scoffed. Sarah caught my look, and raised a quizzical brow. Before I could mouth anything, the voice cut in again.

"What's this? A new arrival?"

Velkan Uley dropped into the seat next to me, and frowned once he saw my face.

"Oh, look, fresh meat." I said to him between gritted teeth. Everyone else laughed, assuming that I'd been referring to myself as some third person joke, but Velkan's nose flared. Struck a chord, did I?

"Marie Swan. A sense of humor? I'd never guess. Dad said you were always mopi—"

My foot came crashing down on his with unforgiving force. His eyes bulged, and whatever he was planning to say was extinguished by the pain written in his reddening face.

"Vel, you okay?" Sarah looked surprised. He nodded at her, turning his back to the table and holding his breath.

I stood up to leave without an excuse. Coming to Forks was a _mistake_.


	9. Remember when

I ran without focus, or discipline. My destination was as ambiguous as my thoughts. Velkan Uley seemed determined to wound my ego, but he did not understand the gravity of the situation. Nor did he understand how little my ego meant to me.

Sam had neglected to explain to his son that vampires prefer a life of _secret_.

The forest parted beneath the thunder of my footsteps and twigs crunched between my toes; shoes hindered speed. I wanted the twigs to cut my marbled skin, and draw venom-less blood from my frozen veins.

Rosalie's envy echoed in my mind; to be human!

Velkan Uley made me ashamed of what I was. Laurent spent decades trying to subdue my self loathing, and I did not want to betray his efforts. Yet I felt myself slipping into that dark place where hell becomes plausible. Vampires are _damned_, aren't they?

Laurent's voice shouted in my brain. _You are chosen, not for damnation but for something else! Evil cannot live forever. We have eternal life, Bella. You are chosen, but not for damnation. _

The voice thinned, and eventually disappeared amidst the whoosh of trees passing. How could he be so sure? Forks had given me a glimpse of prejudice through Velkan Uley's eyes.

So I escaped. I ran towards oblivion, only hoping that I never reached a destination. Just running forever.

I longed to be human again.

The March air sliced my cheeks, and vomit tickled my tongue. For once, my body yearned to be still. I listened, slowing pace as I spotted a clearing up ahead.

I collapsed, thankful for the grass that broke my fall. My chest rattled, still taking heavy breaths, and the silhouette of the sky was shrouded. Instead, overhanging braches surrounded me, just as the rest of the forest. I was safe from the sun here.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled the sharp scent of pine and dirt, listening for the sounds of nature.

Unexpectedly, I heard laughter.

I rolled on to my stomach, knees pushed forward and hands curled into the ground; it was an instinctive response, but Laurent often commented on how un-vampiric it was. He'd joked, once, that I looked more like a werewolf. Sometimes I wondered if Jake still had an influence over my mannerisms.

There was a lurid silhouette standing in the only part of the clearing that saw light; it was a female, and she was sparkling.

Literally.

I rose apprehensively. It had been a decade since my powers were needed against another of my kind, but I still scanned the clearing for anything to blow up. Trees, and the occasional bush; if that was my only defense then I stood before this luminous creature, doomed.

"Bella Swan," the voice continued to laugh, sending a small shiver of familiarity down my spine. "I always knew you'd wise up." The woman shifted, stepping closer to me and consequently out of the sun. I tried to define her face, to recognize its origin, but found that it wasn't a vampire's visage.

At least, it shouldn't have been. I knew that face to be human.

The woman came closer, with a casual air, and chuckled, "'Wolf girl' never suited you. Nor me, apparently. Condemned to the same fate, are we not?"

I could feel my chest tremble, my breaths increasingly harder to satisfy. She seemed to know this quality about me, and said, "Bella, don't breathe. I don't need you hyperventilating any more than you already used to." Then, after a moment, "It's strange the human traits we carry over."

Her advice was fruitless; my chest rose and fell rapidly, and my vision blurred. There was no way. She could not be.

Impossible.

"L-Leah Clear--water?" I said weakly, through harsh breaths.

The woman nodded, moving forward to take her hand in mine. I wanted to recoil, but she enveloped me in an embrace that I felt obliged to return. It was like she'd found the final piece to a puzzle that took a thousand years to make. "Bella, sweet Bella," she whispered into my hair as we hugged.

It occurred to me then how horrible her life must be; certainly chased out of La Push, hated by the only ones who loved her, wandering alone and scared.

This made me tighten my embrace.

After a few minutes, Leah sighed, and I knew to pull away then. We stared at each other; I scrutinized every feature and every wrinkle that did not exist. Emily would envy Leah's beauty _now_, were she ever to see her.

"How?" I whispered.

She laughed, throwing her head back in a grand way, and held her hand to her chest. It was like watching a 1950s movie star; glorified but somehow eerie. "How did I know it was you, or how did I end up a vampire?"

I was astounded by her brazenness. She seemed to have no desire to dance around anything.

"Both, I suppose."

"My transformation is a long story, and I'm sure we'll have time for it – as the rest of the week's out with sun. However, I'm a bit insulted you think I'm so naïve."

I frowned, confused.

Leah smirked, and then stepped away from me and back into the light. Shutting her eyes, she muttered something that I couldn't catch, and her face started to melt into itself. Her entire body shuddered, and the legs grew longer. I heard the crackle of bones as her hips squeezed in and her bust grew out. The hair I'd seen just moments earlier cascaded from its tips, turning bright blond, and her face rearranged itself.

Before I could react, Leah smiled, "Shapeshifting. It's a very rare talent among vampires, and the Volturi usually sweep it all up. They don't know about me, I think," she paused thoughtfully, still glowing in the sunlight despite her humanly appearance. She even _smelled_ like a human.

For a moment I felt like the human Bella from forty years ago, fascinated yet undisturbed by the supernatural, and I almost laughed, "_Leah_ that's… beyond anything… I can't believe… look at you."

She grinned, spinning around once. And then, her face became curious as she stepped out of the light and raised her hand to me.

"Have you…?"

I shook my head quickly. The question was too obvious, and too agonizing, to hear out loud.

Leah nodded, her brows furrowed. "Bella," she said dubiously, "do you miss him?"

"Do you miss Sam?" It was the only appropriate answer. She nodded again.

I expected her to pursue the subject further, but instead she shut her eyes again. This time she had to concentrate, or so I assumed from her clenched fist and flushed face. The sound of bones crunching came again, and her legs became wider, also growing in length again, but her hourglass shape became a rectangle. The hair receded quickly, and turned a reddish brown color.

I thought I felt my heart pounding rapidly against the walls of my chest. But it was dead.

My thoughts became incoherent, as Leah opened her eyes again – they were topaz.

_Edward_…

( Alright, since this is my third update in the same day, I've decided on something. It feels like I'm piling in too much information to you poor reviewers; you probably have two new chapter alerts every time you check your email. xD So, I won't post up the next chapter, which I assure you you'll _really_ want to read, until there's at least ten reviews on this chapter. That way I know people are reading/digesting it. And also – I'll admit – my ego has a hand in this.

Well, not really, but I love to hear feedback. I want to know that this story is entertaining you! Please please please review your thoughts! )


	10. Fiction

**THIS CHAPTER IS RATED PG-13. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. **

( As much as it pained me to write this chapter, as I'm an avid EdwardxBella fan, it was necessary. However, this is for all you silly JacobxBella fans. I hope you enjoy, because it tore my heart out to write it. xD )

**Jacob's POV**

I fought with myself during the entire run to Seattle. What if I didn't find what I came for? Bella's scent was lost after her supposed 'death'; it would never be so long, however, that I would forget it. But her vampire aroma would be different.

Still – I needed this. To move on, let go; for years I had hoped to imprint, thinking it would save me from a life of longing, but never did I see anyone the way I saw Bella.

One day it would happen; I would imprint. I _had_ to.

Once I reached the outskirts of Seattle, I was careful to keep myself hidden by as many trees as possible. The forest started to scatter, and then the highway crept in. I could no longer run freely. Finding the nearest gas station (which took me an hour to get to on foot), I asked around for a ride into the city.

A woman in her late thirties was kind enough to take me in her truck, although I had a feeling there were ulterior motives behind her slightly wrinkled, appraising eyes.

All through the car ride she prompted me with questions about age, family, destination, hometown; I dodged some and gave her empty answers for others. Yet, her flirtatious smile told me she was satisfied. Perhaps the questions she was asking had nothing to do with my answers.

I was on edge for the last ten minutes of the trip. So close.

She dropped me off in front of a large mall, begging for a phone number before driving off. I told her that phones were ancient; she sadly hung her head and agreed. Landlines had been completely removed from the market twenty years ago, and cell phones were now considered old technology.

Times change.

The woman drove off, checking furtive glances at me through her rearview mirror, but I gave her no reason to turn around. Sometimes I wondered why _Bella_ wasn't drawn in the same way other females were.

A young girl in Oregon once told me that I had animalistic beauty. That, in some raw passionate way, she wanted to rip my clothes off. This said right in front of her fiancée.

Why couldn't Bella feel that way?

I dismissed the thought, for I had given up thinking about Bella in… that way a long time ago.

There were a few street vendors loitering in front of the mall, one man in particular shouting about what sounded like 'serial killings'. In his hand was a copy of the Seattle Times, and on the cover, in large block letters, it read, 'LOCAL TOWN OF FORKS, WASHINGTON PLAGUED BY MYSTERIOUS DEATHS'.

I growled. Something wasn't right.

**THREE HOURS LATER**

In most places the forest was my friend, but I found anger amongst the dirt paths as I raced towards Forks. It took almost two and a half hours to get out of the city (an hour of which was spent calming myself down).

Although there was no rational to my thinking, I felt an immediate pull to Forks, to save Bella. Not that she _was_ in imminent danger; the idea of it drew me in.

That I could rescue her. I could be her knight in shining fur.

As much as it inconvenienced me, I took the path that avoided La Push and the reservation, because I knew that one of them would sense me, were they still werewolves. Obscurity would be my new best friend in this town of Forks, Washington.

When I ran, little around me registered, but I could still feel small flecks of rain pelting my skin as I sprinted down a dirt path. Suddenly I could see Bella's face, scoffing at the droplets on her hands and running to the nearest shelter. It compelled me to swerve right, aiming for the entrance to a forest path.

Just like Bella, I would take shelter somewhere until the rain passed. In memoriam.

I tore through the underbrush, leaping from path to path, in loyal search of a clearing. The dirt pounded against my bruised feet (they would heal soon), and my heart echoed beneath my sternum, begging me to cry out like the wolf I was.

I couldn't help it; tilting my head back as I ran, I howled. Pain, suffering, loss; its sorrowfully tenor filled the atmosphere around me and I kept going until I had no breath left.

And then there it was, my beacon of refuge; a little clearing that started where the path separated from the north. The trees circled it protectively, curving in at the entrance. That would keep the rain out entirely. Only in one spot could I see the rain seep through, in the center of the clearing, like a hole in the universe.

Slowly, I made my way toward the entrance, but stopped at the sound of leaves rustling. I saw a tall silhouette in the distance, moving against one of the trees on the other side of the clearing. The silhouette shrank, and I blinked to make sure my eyes hadn't fooled me, but the silhouette stayed small.

The rain clouded my vision.

I contemplated changing then, or running away to avoid conflict altogether, but as the silhouette turned around all thought froze.

Standing in the center of the clearing, with the only rain that leaked through pelting her soft skin, was Bella Swan.

My Bella.

Without regard to time or space, I raced towards her, gathering her small body in my arms. She reciprocated the gesture with ardently, wrapping her sinuous arms around me so tightly that I never wanted her to let go.

I couldn't remember what year it was, or what day, or even where we were. My mind was back forty years ago, when I was sixteen and she was eighteen, and together we experienced the world.

Her frame fit perfectly into my arms. I wanted to cry from joy.

But then I remembered. We were not young anymore, realistically speaking, and she was not human. I pulled away, and her face fell.

She looked crestfallen. I kept my anger at bay.

"Bella," my voice was even, "what are you doing here?"

Her eyes scanned my face, and she reached up a hand to brush the water from my cheeks. I then noticed that we were both standing in the rain, and scooped her up to carry her out of it. She wriggled for a moment in my arms, but I whispered, "Shhh, you hate the rain, remember?"

Bella seemed confused by this, but then she nodded, giving me a warm smile. "Jake…" she uttered in the most alluring voice I'd heard, "Jake… I've missed you… I came back for you… but they said you left." She frowned, and my world crumbled.

The control she had over me was sickening. One sad look and I wanted to ravage the earth in fury.

"No, shhh Bella. I'm here now." I cooed. The whole thing felt unreal, and our word exchange was too much like a lovestruck couple reuniting, that I should have put her down. I should have questioned her, because the answer she gave was evasive and I knew it.

I still didn't care. Bella slinked her arms around my neck, holding on for support, and I smiled down at her. Having her in my arms was such a heavenly experience that I almost stumbled while carrying her over to a dry place to sit. She giggled.

Oh god, I missed her laugh. Her face. The curve of her lips…

No. _No._ I could not let my impurities govern me. It would be insanity to ruin her return so quickly with one stupid decision.

"Jake," she started as I slowly set her down on an arid patch of grass, "It was horrible. They… they changed me against my will. Edward, he promised me eternity but I didn't understand. Oh Jake, it hurt so much," I saw tears well up in her eyes, and my stomach churned.

Tearing my gaze away from her, I looked to the skies and growled with such animalistic rage that I probably frightened her.

When I finally calmed, she moved her body towards me, nuzzling head in the crook of my neck and taking my hands into hers.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me? Or Sam. We could have helped you. I would have done _anything_—,"

She scoffed. "Helped me how, Jake? By driving a stake through my heart?" Bella paused thoughtfully, and then finished with a derisive laugh. "I am what I am, Jake. It wasn't my decision but reality is such. Can you accept that?" Her chin tilted up to catch my eyes with her searching stare.

She wanted security in me, and I longed to give it to her.

I already made myself an outcast from La Push, and I didn't have ties to anyone else; the only thing that told me to loathe the vampire was legends. Ancient and dying stories that are told to incite fear. I could put them aside.

I could love Bella regardless of what she was.

So long as she did not _stay_ a vampire.

"Yes," I whispered into her hair, as I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I can accept you any way you are, Bella."

Her forehead was chilling against my lips, as I expected a vampire to be. My mouth probably burned her skin; it was odd to think of fire and ice joined in lovelust.

Love.

Joined in love.

I _loved_ Bella, even if she was a bloodsucking leech. There had to be a way to change that.

"Jacob…" her voice sounded pleading, as she slid a hand up my shirt and traced the shadow of my collarbone. I felt a flare in my chest, and recognized it all too well.

As embarrassing as it was, I'd had dreams like this before. But this was _real_. My pulse tripled within seconds. "Bells… honey…" My voice was huskier than usual.

Nothing was in my control anymore. I was a teenage boy with raging hormones.

My lips found hers at the same time her body found the hem of my t-shirt. She pulled it off with such force that I stopped to smirk. Did she want this as much as me?

I raised her small body on top of mine, letting my back fall on the hard earth. Her legs slid around my waist, tightening against my body. There were fireworks exploding in my head. I heard her whisper my name fervently as my own hands found the hem of her shirt, yanking it off. I wanted this _now_.

We kissed like it would be the last time, crushing our bodies against each other in a wild, desperate need to fill the thirst for each other. Her hands cupped my chin as her hair cascaded around my face. I wanted to tear off all her clothes.

I had to have everything.

My hands explored the cold skin of her back, but I was more concerned with unhooking her bra than I was with the frozen feel of her body. However, being an inexperienced werewolf-boy, I fumbled with the strap over and over again until Bella intervened. She stopped the kissing long enough to laugh in a low, seductive timbre, and just as she reached behind her to take off the bra I heard twigs snapping.

I pulled Bella's body into a protective hold, but she didn't want to stop. She kissed me in a way that was impossible to deny, and my muscles slackened, letting her run her hands along my chest.

I heard more twigs snapping, and then a gasp, and racing footsteps away from the clearing.

**Jasper's POV**

Carlisle made arrangements for us to leave for Forks immediately; Emmett and Rosalie were on vacation in Spain, and they planned to meet us there within two days. Alice assured us that our house was still there, untouched, and so we left London with hope and anticipation mixed with martinis.

Edward drank himself dead on the plane. I remember two years before we met Bella he vowed to give up alcohol for eternity, and he'd stuck true to such a promise. When he flagged down a stewardess and demanded an Apple Martini, Carlisle did little to stop him.

He did, however, purse his lips and glance at Edward warily.

I watched as my brother crumbled before me, on a nine and a half hour flight to Seattle. The alcohol made him delirious, and although he stayed silent, I knew he was having dreams of Bella. Believing that Bella was asleep next to him, her head resting peacefully on his shoulder.

It was torture to watch the Greek God fall.

Alice distracted me with idle chatter about the weather (which was _really_ about the killings in Forks, but we used code words to keep the humans out of it). Carlisle and Esme seemed engaged in a heated argument in the row across us, but Alice told me to pay no attention.

There was something both Alice and Carlisle knew that made them more confident in this endeavor. Curiosity got the best of me, but Alice shushed my concerns. She said that I'd find out soon.

I fell asleep some time after, and surprisingly Edward was the one to wake me up. He scoffed, muttering something about the plane landing five hours ago and the stewardesses making plans to mop up my body if I didn't move my arse; I ignored him. I could hear Alice's voice silence Edward, and then she shook my shoulders.

"Alright, I'm up."

"Come on, Jas, we've got a lot of ground to cover before it gets dark."

We got off the plane, free from having to pick up any bags, and took a bus to Forks. It would have been ideal to run, since the weather conditions were shaping up for a typical Forks thunderstorm, but Carlisle insisted we go by human transportation.

He said something about it being important to blend in. I'd forgotten how perceptive some humans can be. Bella, for instance. Well – was, in her case.

The bus broke down half way there, and in response to Esme's catty glares, Carlisle compromised and allowed Alice and I to run there, while he, Esme and Edward waited for the bus. I had a feeling he wanted to keep Edward by his side and away from Forks for as long as possible.

Alice, however, insisted that she stay with Edward. I had no problem going first, so I waved goodbye and told the bus driver I'd be pursuing the rest of my journey by foot. He looked at me incredulously, and I just laughed.

Silly humans.

Once the bus was hidden by a thicket of threes (I'd spotted the nearest forest and scrambled my way through it), I took off in a heated run. The adrenaline that pulsed through my veins was so powerful I thought they would burst open through the skin. Running in the rain was a delicacy.

After fifteen minutes or so, I began to recognize the trees, and slowed down. I was in the outskirts of Forks; Edward had brought me near here once, to go hunting. To some clearing.

I was determined to find it.

My run graduated to a slow walk, as I weaved between trees and scanned for clearings. I was briefly reminded of running through this forest with Alice, and smiled.

As luck would have it, I smiled upon a clearing. Up ahead some twenty feet was the entrance to a circle of trees. I sprinted towards it, so lost in my triumph that I neglected to notice two bodies moving deftly on the ground.

At the edge of the entrance I spotted them, and suddenly recoiled. Crouched behind a bush, I peered over with curious intent.

And what I saw stopped my breath. I recognized Jacob Black with half a second's glance, but the female, whose body was pressed on top of him, with no shirt on, was a face I thought I'd _never_ see again.

Bella Swan.

I turned around, running back the way I came.

( So, aside from the fact that this chapter was insanely long, it's also a cliffhanger! And, a special birthday shout out goes to Fae08. Happy birthday! I think this is the last chapter for tonight, but I'll get a few chapters in tomorrow. Enjoy! And pleeeeeeeeeeeeease review! Especially on this chapter. I'm so excited to see what you all think. xD

p.s. – Do not be fooled by this chapter. Edward pwns Jake in my mind. Especially when it comes to pairings with Bella. But plot points are plot points. And, if you are a Jake fan, be happy! There's some serious PG-13 action here. xD )


	11. Author's note

So, I've just gone back and realized how many discrepancies there are in the chapters, because when I type fast sometimes I write the wrong words, or in the wrong tense; this is me apologizing for that. I'm not stupid, honest. xD

The next chapter will be up later tonight, and the pivotal EdwardxBella moment will be in either chapter 11 or chapter 12, so review lots and lots! It'll make me post the chapters sooner.

I love you all, and your reviews make me smile. I wish I could respond to every single one, but I can't, so instead I'm sending this message; your reviews make me so happy. Thank you!


	12. Preview of next chapter

( Hey guys! Unfortunately I've been swamped with work for the past few days, and I didn't want to leave everyone hanging, so I decided to post a tid-bit of the upcoming chapter. It probably won't be done until Wednesday, but I can try to finish it tonight. This is because you are all incredible reviewers and I want you to stay excited for the coming chapter. 

THIS IS IT! THE PIVOTAL MOMENT! After waiting 10 chapters, I give you… )

I suddenly was aware that I was not alone. 

There were two bodies moving with disturbing fluidity ten feet to my right. As I dragged myself away, still sore from the rope burns (as a vampire, it took at least a few minutes to heal), one of the silhouettes froze. A twig snapped beneath my feet. There was a small scuffle, and someone grunted. 

I couldn't get a steady look, so I kept moving backwards to get away. Running was the practical thing to do right now. 

Glancing back once more to make sure I hadn't been spotted, I noticed the silhouette that had reacted to the twig earlier froze; and then it began to change shape. The outline grew, and it went from smooth to rough; I was too fixated on keeping myself shrouded to care. 

To care enough to question it. 

The second body was sprawled on the ground, unmoving, and as I narrowed my eyes on it there was a gust of wind and dirt. 

My hands automatically went up to shield my face, and in that short moment the silhouette was standing right in front of me. It had moved with unparalleled speed. 

The stance, shoulders broad and legs slightly apart, was familiar. 

"Jake…?" I asked dubiously; I sounded hoarse. The silhouette nodded, and held a hand out, pulling me to my feet. His skin felt like it was on fire. 

Without meaning to, I leaned toward his neck and inhaled. He smelled of a werewolf, yes, but not like Jacob Black. Yet, I hadn't seen him in forty years; who was I to judge?

"Bella, I've missed you." Jacob cooed in a voice I was skeptical of. As a human I might have swooned, but as a vampire I was impervious to the dead charm of others. Only Edward could win me with that voice. 

I stepped back from Jacob, keeping my face stoic. "Who was that?" I said in an emotionless tone, pointing towards the sprawled body on the clearing floor. Jacob shook his head, and tried to draw me in to a hug; my resistance made him falter, but he recovered quickly and cleared his throat. "You don't want to know, Bella."

He sounded more cryptic than comforting, and I stepped even further away. "Jacob, things are different now. When I ask a question, you've got to tell me." There was an abrupt pause, as I realized that I was inadvertently _threatening _him. Is this what I had come to?

My jaw muscles tightened, as I flexed each finger with a deftness that read practice. It was my only mechanism to abate the anger, or else it came like a floodgate opening. 

Apparently, Jacob understood, and took no liberties. He sighed, bowing his head and answering in a feeble voice, "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you… Bella, I knew you came back to Forks a few days ago. I followed you, because… because someone's after you, Bella. Someone wants you dead," he paused to laugh derisively, "more so than you already are." 

The first instinct was laughter. I was beside myself. 

"Jacob Black, I am a _vampire_. Who doesn't want me 'dead', as you say?"

He rejected my petty interpretation of his words, and instead pressed on. "You don't get it Bella. They followed you here to the clearing. They tied you up. You were out cold when I showed up, and I had to do something. Bella," he moved forward and took my hand, this time I did not stop him. His pleading tone was mesmerizing. "You have to forgive me. Swear that you'll forgive me." 

I blanched, ripping my hand from his grasp and deliberately placing a five foot gap between us. "For what, Jacob?" My voice was hollow. I knew then that the body in the clearing was someone I _knew_, someone important to me, or else Jacob Black would not look so helpless for salvation. 

"It's the Cullens, Bella. They're the ones after you. That was Jasper." 

The trees around me started spinning and I stopped breathing. All I felt was anger, and suddenly everything around us exploded. 

( ….cliffhanger! For those of you confused about what's going on, just wait until the whole chapter. It should make more sense, but if you think you've got it figured out, then PM me with your theories! I love hearing them. Also, a friend of mine pointed out earlier that S.M.'s vampires don't have fangs, so I apologize for that. And, another shrewd reviewer pointed out that vampires don't sleep either, so Jasper shouldn't have fallen asleep on the plane. I know this story is full of mistakes, heh, but when I'm done with it I will post a link to the full edited version, that will have extended scenes and the preview to the sequel. Anyway, review and tell me what you think of this little tidbit! The full chapter is coming sooooooooon! )


	13. Impossible

Back to Bella

( So, I know I promised the pivotal Edward – Bella scene, and some of you might think this is it, but let me make clear right now that it is _not_. If you find that a character is behaving oddly, or doing something out of character, _then it is probably __**not**__ them_. I added that Leah is a shapeshifter for a reason. I didn't want to ruin the mystery but I kept getting so many reviews that were along the lines of 'I'm confused/what's going on/how could Bella?!/etc.

I'm not angry, just frustrated. With myself, mostly. I keep thinking it was some flaw in my writing, that I didn't sequence things well enough, that I didn't drop enough hints. I really do put effort into this fic, guys, and I try to make it deeper than just Edward and Bella reuniting. Please please give me that same effort when you read the fic, and if you see something that is odd, or have to read a sentence again, it's in there for a reason. _Everything_ in this story is deliberate (because I'm a bit of a nutter xD), and I write it to entertain you guys.

All that being said, this story is starting back up again, and if you are one of those people who still stand confused, I implore you to go back and read the story from the beginning again, and don't speed read (I'm totally guilty of it, so I know, hehe). Because if you're lost, there's probably something in a paragraph you skipped somewhere that'll explain.

After all that, though, if you still don't get it, then it rests as a reflection on me. And I suck at this stuff. / But my love for you guys is unconditional, because you are my wonderful reviewers! I hope this chapter sparks some conversation. Enjoy! )

**Back to Bella**

The last thing I remembered was Edward's outstretched hands waiting for me; his embrace was chilling and filled with comfort. I breathed in his scent, and everything after that was blurred.

Now I found myself lying face up on a pile of dirt, and trapped by a cornucopia of bushes. Where _was_ I? My arms felt heavy, and as I glanced down at them I realized they were pegged to the ground with a rope that went around my whole body.

I tore myself out of the ropes as fast as my vampire muscles would let me.

It was generally a bad sign to wake up and find yourself bound to the floor of a place you don't recognize.

As I lifted the ropes off my body, my hands burned. With a gasp, I pulled away, gingerly rubbing my hands as I cradled them in my chest.

My eyes scanned the clearing, and I suddenly was aware that I was not alone.

There were two bodies moving with disturbing fluidity ten feet to my right. As I dragged myself away, still sore from the rope burns (as a vampire, it took at least a few minutes to heal), one of the silhouettes froze. A twig snapped beneath my feet. There was a small scuffle, and someone grunted.

I couldn't get a steady look, so I kept moving backwards to get away. Running was the practical thing to do right now.

Glancing back once more to make sure I hadn't been spotted, I noticed the silhouette that had reacted to the twig earlier froze; and then it began to change shape. The outline grew, and it went from smooth to rough; I was too fixated on keeping myself shrouded to care.

To care enough to question it.

The second body was sprawled on the ground, unmoving, and as I narrowed my eyes on it there was a gust of wind and dirt.

My hands automatically went up to shield my face, and in that short moment the silhouette was standing right in front of me. It had moved with unparalleled speed.

The stance, shoulders broad and legs slightly apart, was familiar.

"Jake…?" I asked dubiously; I sounded hoarse. The silhouette nodded, and held a hand out, pulling me to my feet. His skin felt like it was on fire.

Without meaning to, I leaned toward his neck and inhaled. He smelled of a werewolf, yes, but not like Jacob Black. Yet, I hadn't seen him in forty years; who was I to judge?

"Bella, I've missed you." Jacob cooed in a voice I was skeptical of. As a human I might have swooned, but as a vampire I was impervious to the dead charm of others. Only Edward could win me with that voice.

I stepped back from Jacob, keeping my face stoic. "Who was that?" I said in an emotionless tone, pointing towards the sprawled body on the clearing floor. Jacob shook his head, and tried to draw me in to a hug; my resistance made him falter, but he recovered quickly and cleared his throat. "You don't want to know, Bella."

He sounded more cryptic than comforting, and I stepped even further away. "Jacob, things are different now. When I ask a question, you've got to tell me." There was an abrupt pause, as I realized that I was inadvertently _threatening _him. Is this what I had come to?

My jaw muscles tightened, as I flexed each finger with a deftness that read practice. It was my only mechanism to abate the anger, or else it came like a floodgate opening.

Apparently, Jacob understood, and took no liberties. He sighed, bowing his head and answering in a feeble voice, "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you… Bella, I knew you came back to Forks a few days ago. I followed you, because… because someone's after you, Bella. Someone wants you dead," he paused to laugh derisively, "more so than you already are."

The first instinct was laughter. I was beside myself.

"Jacob Black, I am a _vampire_. Who doesn't want me 'dead', as you say?"

He rejected my petty interpretation of his words, and instead pressed on. "You don't get it Bella. They followed you here to the clearing. They tied you up. You were out cold when I showed up, and I had to do something. Bella," he moved forward and took my hand, this time I did not stop him. His pleading tone was mesmerizing. "You have to forgive me. Swear that you'll forgive me."

I blanched, ripping my hand from his grasp and deliberately placing a five foot gap between us. "For what, Jacob?" My voice was hollow. I knew then that the body in the clearing was someone I _knew_, someone important to me, or else Jacob Black would not look so helpless for salvation.

"It's the Cullens, Bella. They're the ones after you. That was Jasper."

The trees around me started spinning and I stopped breathing. All I felt was anger, and suddenly everything around us exploded. The ground rumbled, and as branches catapulted themselves with little care to their targets, I yelled over the nose.

"No!" My voice sounded detached, but I could taste the venom building in my mouth. Jake was a liar.

And therefore he became my enemy.

"Bella please… you have to forgive me. I was trying to save you."

For once in my vampire life, I growled. Jake's eyes bulged, and he put his hands up in shock. Although his stance was neutral, I felt threatened by him, and not the least bit convinced by his surrender. There was unfamiliarity in his black eyes.

The truth suddenly became painfully apparent, and I growled again, this time louder. He _wasn't_ Jacob Black.

He slipped backwards into the clearing, and I followed him with a hostile stride. Debris coated the earth floor and kept him from regaining balance, so it was the two of us in some twisted dance, as he stumbled and I slinked. Like a deadly waltz.

The row of trees behind me shook, and then exploded into flying red sparks of burning wood. I had control now, and intended to show this Jacob Black imposter how wrong it was to dance with Bella Swan.

"Who are you?" I demanded. He continued stumbling until finally a large mass on the ground tripped him. I realized it was the crumpled body that the imposter claimed to be Jasper. I forgot myself, rushing to the limp body's side and hastily brushing the twigs and leaves and dirt off the face.

Not Jasper – I saw Jacob Black, eyes milky white and unmoving. His neck had two perfectly smooth bite marks.

My growl escalated to a roar, and I rounded on the imposter sprawled a few feet away. But he was not there. Instead, I saw…

"Edward?" I was inaudible, but he nodded from his towering position behind me. Ever majestic, but slightly off. He flew forward and grabbed the collar of my shirt, raising me in the air. Burning red eyes glared at my stunned face. Disbelief subdued the anger swelling my chest. What was Edward doing? Where had the imposter gone…?

"I've been waiting for you," Edward snickered. Then he lifted me higher and with a grunt flung me across the clearing. I landed on something sharp, and felt it pierce my back. The pain dissipated instantly.

But it was another part of my body that I winced for. Edward Cullen… his face decorated my dreams… and now it would dominate my nightmares. He stood on the other side of the clearing with a sardonic grin, arms crossed in accomplishment. Was he _happy_…?

That could not be my Edward. I stood, shakily but quickly.

"Little Bella thinks she can fight?" The voice was mocking.

"Edward…what are you doing? What – I don't –"

"Understand? Let me explain. Bella Swan, I want you dead. Never forget."

His words echoed in my head with thunderous tenor. _No… No, Edward…_

I started to speak but a dry sob caught my throat. My body shook with such intensity, such power, that I was sure I would combust. I wanted to rip open my skin to release this energy… this unbelievable force.

Instead the trees around me (the ones left) cracked and crumbled; a resonating boom filled the clearing. Smoldering wood flew everywhere. The entire clearing had exploded.

In complete defiance of my vampiric nature, I found myself crying. Blood dripped from my eyes, and my shoulders were seized with the pain of sobbing; it was against my natural order, but I could not stop. The blood kept falling, reeking of rust, and I could smell my victims in its glistening fall. Nothing about it attracted me, or tempted my thirst; I was repelled. Rabbits, dying deer, all things that could not protect themselves from me, from my monstrous nature. Tears, crimson and crystalline.

I was hysterical, and everything near me, debris included, continued to explode. The atmosphere was a constant thicket ablaze.

Existence felt like a curse. I could not even begin to comprehend anything of substance. When the smoke and dirt finally cleared Edward was gone, as was the body.

I couldn't remember anything except for the real Jacob Black's milky white eyes and Edward's loathing sneer. His words caged me to the clearing floor.

_Bella Swan, I want you dead. Never forget_.

As the memory of his once soft face flickered behind my lids, I felt water rolling down my neck. It had begun to rain.

I looked around, realizing that the clearing was now a big charred hole in the forest, and the rain was soaking everything. I couldn't stay here…

Before the next raindrop hit the ground I was gone.


End file.
